We have a new home, but we have not reached our final destination

We have a new home!  Sunday November 8 was an exciting and amazing day for Project:Re3.  The first Sunday in our new missions hub/church was the two year anniversary of Project:Re3. 

Two years ago we asked a few friends to come dream with us, and almost 80 people showed up at our home.  God had led Mike to read Isaiah 58 again and again.  From that verse, we found our mission – to restore, rebuild, renovate, and make the community livable again (hence the name, “Re3”).  After that first Sunday, we had the blessing of worshiping at River Landing at Sandy Ridge.  We are so grateful to River Landing for allowing us to grow and worship with them. 

Although we loved River Landing, we knew that was a temporary location, and we longed to have a permanent home that would allow us to do even more ministry in our community.  We found a property in Walkertown, and spent months and months updating the property.  The Project:Re3 community spent finances and put so much work into a property that we ultimately would not use.  We encountered road block after road block, and there were times when we were discouraged.  We wondered why things were not working out.

Then, Mike saw a sign that Good Sheppard Moravian Church was having their final worship service.  Mike contacted the Moravian Church and indicated our interest in the property.    The Moravian Church was amazingly gracious and worked with us.  We purchased the property that was formerly Good Shepard Moravian Church, and quickly prepared for our first worship service. 

While preparing for our first service, Mike found the first bulletin for Good Sheppard Moravian church.  The first Sunday for Project:Re3 in our new location would have been Good Sheppard Moravian Church’s 28^th anniversary.  This solidified for us that we were exactly where we needed to be, and that God’s timing is perfect.    

Our first worship service was nothing short of amazing.  There was so much energy and I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Although we have found a new home, we know that we have not finished our journey.  While we are grateful for a more permanent location, we know that in the end, a building is just a building.  Our community is called to break the chains of injustice, to get rid of exploitation in the workplace, to free the oppressed, and cancel debts.  We are to feed the hungry, invite the homeless into our homes, and put cloths on those that have none. (Isaiah 58, The Message)  If we are to fulfill this mission, we cannot rest in the comfort of a new building.  We must be out in our community and out in the world. 

If we are faithful, God has promised us in Isaiah 58 that we will use the old rubble of past lives to build anew.  We will rebuild the foundations of our past, and we will be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.